Starbat's High Fantasy Books
Starbat's Favorite High Fantasy Books (that aren't Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones)
Not that we don't love those. But when you're done...
Note: This is not an extensive list of the best fantasy books, or even necessarily of my favorite fantasy books. But it is an awesome group of books, and it's the list that come to mind when I think of "high fantasy."
The Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
This is a classic high fantasy trilogy, rife with magic, elves, demons, and more magic. However, it manages to break out of the Lord of the Rings knock-off bin by including a likeable and distinct protagonist with realistic (and some fantastical) character growth and beautifully detailed worldbuilding (although Lackey can get bogged down in the little details, it works in these books). Also there are elven knights who ride unicorns, where the elves are super stoic, but the unicorns are super sassy, which is just the best.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
So this is probably the best-known book on this list, but it really deserves so much more. I grew up on The Last Unicorn movie, and I have a boundless love for it (up to and including Jeff Bridges' terrible singing), but the book is just so much more. The movie was made for kids, and although it is beautiful, it's also a greatly simplified version of the story. In the movie, there's a wacky magician, a tough lady, and a nice but somewhat awkward prince. Those are fine archetypes for a short movie. But, for example, although the magician may be wacky in the book, he's also an arrogant, immortal man-child doomed to roam the earth until he finds a way to control his magic. And the book itself isn't just a random tale of love and loss. It's also a discussion about the intersection of myth and belief and truth, as well as a beautiful and delightful story about knights, unicorns, and magic.
The Cloudmages series by S. L. Farrell
This is probably the most unusual pick for this list. Instead of knights and elves, this series uses a Celtic backdrop to tell an epic tale of magic and political drama. The series opens as a period of magic sweeps the land, awakening a slough of power stones that bestow specific gifts on their bearers. Alliances and betrayals follow as different factions struggle to control the stones, and therefore the land. I will say, this series is rather darker than the others on this list, dealing with possession, drug addiction, manipulation, and war. People are going to die, and you will be sad. But the books are also wondrous, with a parade of unpronounceable (pardon my American-ness) landscapes and creatures.
The Immortals series by Tamora Pierce
Technically speaking, Pierce's Protector of the Small series is my favorite from this author, and The Song of the Lioness books are perhaps more classically "high fantasy" because of their focus on knighthood. However, The Immortals books take this spot because of their grand, world-saving plotline, deep dive into the magic system used in all of those series, and tight plotting (I love The Song of the Lioness, but the time jumps can give you whiplash). The Immortals follows Daine, a young mage with an unusual affinity with animals, as she learns to control her power, meets exciting new people, and fights to save the land when the human and divine worlds collide. This series is overflowing with magic, from shapeshifting to dragons to telepathy, but it never outshines the personal narratives of the characters, who remain complex and accessible throughout the series.
The DragonCrown War Cycle by Michael A. Stackpole
This is another series that is pure and unrefined high fantasy. An epic plot follows a child of prophecy growing from an orphaned thief-boy to a confident, self-aware badass. With a cast of what feels like thousands, and a story that touches on dozens of different environs, races, and characters, this series has everything. Betrayal, love, revenge, death, and redemption are all featured here. And while many of the classic tropes abound (magic, elves, the living dead), many things come with a twist (like the urZrethi. Instead of your basic ale-swilling dwarves, these mountain dwellers are rock-based shapeshifters with a rigid matriarchal social system). So if you're in the mood for a new high fantasy series with plenty of all your favorite tropes and likeable, diverse characters, this is an excellent choice for a new adventure.
P.S. Although the series prequel The Dark Glory War enhances and clarifies the main story, it's not necessary to read it before diving into the main trilogy.
Honorable Mentions (I love both of these series to pieces, but the weird, bureaucratic, illogical part of my brain doesn't consider them as "high fantasy" as the others):
Gentlemen Bastards series by Scott Lynch
These books are the story of a conman, his thieving friends, and their incredibly complex, high-stakes cons that frequently go completely and utterly FUBAR. The books take place in a gorgeous Renaissance-style Europe-adjacent world where alchemy and clockwork rule. The first book is in the best steampunk-fantasy version of Venice that I have ever read (while that seems super specific, I've definitely read at least 3 or 4 books with that same stupid setting), combining grit and death with incredibly beautiful vistas and hilarious characters.
The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks
This series includes a more classically fantasy setting, with more magic and less steampunk. It follows another street urchin who trains as a "wetboy" (basically, a magical assassin), but who ends up involved in a world of gods and monsters fighting to control some magical stones and, inevitably, the fate of the world. Something I really enjoy about this series is the fact that although the books center around one real protagonist, many of the more minor characters have major, fully-formed story arcs of their own which are also integral to the plot.
Not that we don't love those. But when you're done...
Note: This is not an extensive list of the best fantasy books, or even necessarily of my favorite fantasy books. But it is an awesome group of books, and it's the list that come to mind when I think of "high fantasy."
The Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
This is a classic high fantasy trilogy, rife with magic, elves, demons, and more magic. However, it manages to break out of the Lord of the Rings knock-off bin by including a likeable and distinct protagonist with realistic (and some fantastical) character growth and beautifully detailed worldbuilding (although Lackey can get bogged down in the little details, it works in these books). Also there are elven knights who ride unicorns, where the elves are super stoic, but the unicorns are super sassy, which is just the best.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
So this is probably the best-known book on this list, but it really deserves so much more. I grew up on The Last Unicorn movie, and I have a boundless love for it (up to and including Jeff Bridges' terrible singing), but the book is just so much more. The movie was made for kids, and although it is beautiful, it's also a greatly simplified version of the story. In the movie, there's a wacky magician, a tough lady, and a nice but somewhat awkward prince. Those are fine archetypes for a short movie. But, for example, although the magician may be wacky in the book, he's also an arrogant, immortal man-child doomed to roam the earth until he finds a way to control his magic. And the book itself isn't just a random tale of love and loss. It's also a discussion about the intersection of myth and belief and truth, as well as a beautiful and delightful story about knights, unicorns, and magic.
The Cloudmages series by S. L. Farrell
This is probably the most unusual pick for this list. Instead of knights and elves, this series uses a Celtic backdrop to tell an epic tale of magic and political drama. The series opens as a period of magic sweeps the land, awakening a slough of power stones that bestow specific gifts on their bearers. Alliances and betrayals follow as different factions struggle to control the stones, and therefore the land. I will say, this series is rather darker than the others on this list, dealing with possession, drug addiction, manipulation, and war. People are going to die, and you will be sad. But the books are also wondrous, with a parade of unpronounceable (pardon my American-ness) landscapes and creatures.
The Immortals series by Tamora Pierce
Technically speaking, Pierce's Protector of the Small series is my favorite from this author, and The Song of the Lioness books are perhaps more classically "high fantasy" because of their focus on knighthood. However, The Immortals books take this spot because of their grand, world-saving plotline, deep dive into the magic system used in all of those series, and tight plotting (I love The Song of the Lioness, but the time jumps can give you whiplash). The Immortals follows Daine, a young mage with an unusual affinity with animals, as she learns to control her power, meets exciting new people, and fights to save the land when the human and divine worlds collide. This series is overflowing with magic, from shapeshifting to dragons to telepathy, but it never outshines the personal narratives of the characters, who remain complex and accessible throughout the series.
The DragonCrown War Cycle by Michael A. Stackpole
This is another series that is pure and unrefined high fantasy. An epic plot follows a child of prophecy growing from an orphaned thief-boy to a confident, self-aware badass. With a cast of what feels like thousands, and a story that touches on dozens of different environs, races, and characters, this series has everything. Betrayal, love, revenge, death, and redemption are all featured here. And while many of the classic tropes abound (magic, elves, the living dead), many things come with a twist (like the urZrethi. Instead of your basic ale-swilling dwarves, these mountain dwellers are rock-based shapeshifters with a rigid matriarchal social system). So if you're in the mood for a new high fantasy series with plenty of all your favorite tropes and likeable, diverse characters, this is an excellent choice for a new adventure.
P.S. Although the series prequel The Dark Glory War enhances and clarifies the main story, it's not necessary to read it before diving into the main trilogy.
Honorable Mentions (I love both of these series to pieces, but the weird, bureaucratic, illogical part of my brain doesn't consider them as "high fantasy" as the others):
Gentlemen Bastards series by Scott Lynch
These books are the story of a conman, his thieving friends, and their incredibly complex, high-stakes cons that frequently go completely and utterly FUBAR. The books take place in a gorgeous Renaissance-style Europe-adjacent world where alchemy and clockwork rule. The first book is in the best steampunk-fantasy version of Venice that I have ever read (while that seems super specific, I've definitely read at least 3 or 4 books with that same stupid setting), combining grit and death with incredibly beautiful vistas and hilarious characters.
The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks
This series includes a more classically fantasy setting, with more magic and less steampunk. It follows another street urchin who trains as a "wetboy" (basically, a magical assassin), but who ends up involved in a world of gods and monsters fighting to control some magical stones and, inevitably, the fate of the world. Something I really enjoy about this series is the fact that although the books center around one real protagonist, many of the more minor characters have major, fully-formed story arcs of their own which are also integral to the plot.
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